1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices that facilitate the servicing and recharging of automobile air conditioning systems by the consumer.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many automobile owners who like to handle their own automotive maintenance in a xe2x80x9cdo-it-yourselfxe2x80x9d manner. Instead of taking their automobiles to a mechanic every time it needs servicing, the do-it-yourselfer likes to take proactive responsibility for the simple maintenance of his vehicle. Often, this type of work includes changing fluids, including the refrigerant in the automobile air conditioning system.
The changing and servicing of air conditioning refrigerant can pose certain mechanical challenges. For one, it can be difficult to determine how much refrigerant is present in the system; the refrigerant is gaseous, so a dipstick is not a viable option. A pressure gauge might be connected to the low pressure service port of an automobile air conditioner, however the low pressure service port has a special connection that fits few commercially available pressure gauges. If the pressure is determined to be low, the home mechanic must add additional refrigerant to the system. Again, accessing the low pressure service port can be difficult. Typically, the refrigerant is available in 8-12 ounce canisters such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,032 to Trachtenberg (incorporated herein by reference), the same Trachtenberg as the present inventor, and which is assigned to the same assignee as is the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system for easily selectively attaching both a pressure gauge and a canister of refrigerant to an automobile air conditioner.
It is another object of the invention to provide a connector which allows a typical home mechanic to service the air conditioner in his automobile quickly and easily.
It is another object of the invention to provide a kit which allows a typical home mechanic to service the air conditioner in his automobile quickly and easily by way of checking the refrigerant pressure in the system and adding additional refrigerant to the system.
The above and other objects are fulfilled by the invention, which is a unitary hose connection for servicing an automobile air conditioning system. The hose connection has a first end and a second end. A first connector is provided at the first end and connectable with a low pressure service port of an automobile air conditioning system. A second connector is provided at the second end of the hose selectively connectable with both a pressure gauge and a can tap valve; the can tap valve is generally attached to a can of compressed refrigerant, preferably R-134a. The hose is preferably less than or equal to 11xc2xd inches in length so as to be available by law to home users.
The invention also includes a kit for servicing an automobile air conditioning system. The kit is provided with a pressure gauge having a gauge connection port, and a can tap valve fittable on and communicable with a can of compressed refrigerant having a valve connection port. The kit also includes a hose having a first end and a second end. A first connector is provided at the first end and is connectable with a low pressure service port of an automobile air conditioning system. A second connector is disposed at the second end of the hose and is selectively connectable with both the gauge connection port and the valve connection port. Preferably, the gauge connection port is provided with first threads at a predetermined thread pitch, the valve connection port is provided with second threads at the predetermined thread pitch, and the second connector is provided with third threads at the same predetermined thread pitch as the pressure gauge and the can tap valve.